Artist&#39;s easel



May 15, 1956 o. A. VERNER 2,745,518

ARTIST'S EASEL Filed Aug. 21, 1953 I 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

5. OLIVER AVERNER BY H i y 15, 1956 o. A. VERNER 2,745,618

ARTISTS EASEL Filed Aug. 21, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. OLIVER A.VERNER /97'7ORNEY.-

United States Patent ARTISTS EASEL Sliver A. Verner, New Orleans, La.

Application August 21, 1953, Serial No. 375,682

6 Claims. (Cl. 248-197) This invention relates to supports and, moreparticularly, to an artists easel.

The object of the invention is to provide an artists easel capable ofsupporting canvas, placards and the like (hereafter referred to as Work)of virtually any size, configuration and weight within a wide range ofneeds. It is intended, first, to provide for the firm support of thework on the easel at various desired heights and angles, so that thereneed be no fear of dislodgement. Another object is to provide for firmand sure stance of the easel on a floor or on irregular footing so thatit may be used with equal facility in a studio or on outdoor location.

A further object of the invention is to provide an artists easel ofrelatively stifi, rugged construction capable of heavy and long service,but nevertheless being collapsible into a compact firm bundle so that itmay be manually carried about from place to place, or easily stowed inan automobile. In furthering these objectives it is intended that thestability of the easel, when set up for work, be not deterred by thecollapsibility of the components, it being necessary that the vitalsupporting elements be deliberately manipulated from their normalworking positions before the easel can be collapsed. Thus, an artistpainting a wind-swept scene, for instance, need not be haunted by anunderlying feeling of insecurity for his work.

Still again it is proposed to provide a foldable easel having componentsthat will stay folded until deliberately set up for work. Artistsoftentimes carry equipment about until inspired by a majestic landscape,a quaint doorway, or a scene of sentimental reminiscence. Since vexationfrom a prematurely spreading easel stifies the. inspiration aborning, itis now proposed to provide an easel having parts adjustable between twofundamental positions, i. e., working and folded, and to provide for thepositive maintenance of the parts in adjusted position.

Yet again, an object is to provide an easel capable of economic massproduction so that its purchase lies within the realm of possibilitiesfor the impecunious. By providing comparatively elemental shape for theparts, mostly of wood, most of them can be fabricated by straightawaysawing, drilling and fastening operations, and many of the smallerelements can be fashioned from odd pieces left from other manufacture.These and other objects will be apparent from the followingspecification and drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a front elevation of the easel in working position;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the easel as shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the front of the easel in folded recliningposition;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the rear of the easel in folded recliningposition;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of an alternate form of worktop holder; and,

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the modification shown in Fig. 5.

2,745,618 Patented May 15, 1956 ice Referring now to the drawings, inwhich like reference numerals denote similar elements, the easelindicated generally at 2 includes a front face piece 4 having an opentopslot 6 extending lengthwise from near its lower end, the latter beingwidened by hips 8 and rearwardly thickened, as at 10. Spaced rearwardlyof slot 6 is a backbone strip 12 supported at its lower end to facepiece 4 by a tongue 14 secured in the bottom of slot 6 and near itsupper end by stand off pieces 16 projecting rearwardly from the upperend of face piece 4.

Retractable front legs 18 and 20 are secured to the back of thickenedhips 3 by pivot bolts 22 and maintained in adjusted position bytightening wing nuts 23, it being noteworthy that the normally upperends of legs 18 are beveled at 24, to fit against backbone strip 12 toprovideadditional firmness in the connection. Pivot bolts 22 passthrough slots 26 near the normally upper ends of legs 18 and 20 so that,upon loosening of wing nuts 23 legs 18 and 20 may be retracted from theposition shown in Figs. 1 and 2 by reversely pivoting so that they lieagainst the back of face piece 4 as shown best in Fig. 4.

Near the upper end of backbone strip 12 is a lengthwise slot 28 in whichslides a pivot bolt 30, the latter pivotally supporting the upper end ofa rear prop leg 32. A slot 34 running lengthwise in rear prop leg 32permits the latter to pivot forwardly to nest over backbone strip 12from the extended position of Fig. 2 to the retracted position of Fig.4. It will be apparent that the angular disposition of the assembly andthe specific placement of the lower end of rear prop leg32 may beadjusted by loosening wing nut 36 on pivot bolt 30.

The lower work support is constituted by a shelf 38 aflixed on a slide49 and adjustably maintained by a bolt washer and wing nut assembly 42,44 and 45, respectively, so that shelf may be vertically adjusted alongthe length of face piece 4 and pivotally retracted by turning so that itlies lengthwise the face piece as shown in Fig. 3.

An upper work support rod 46 is adjustably and retractably maintained ona disc 48 clamped to the upper end of'backbone strip 12 by an oifsetpivot bolt and wing nut assembly 50, 52, and another pivot bolt and wingnut assembly 54, 56 offset in disc 48 and passing through a slot 58 inrod 46, it being apparent in Fig. 2 that rod 46 may be adjustedforwardly and rearwardly or tipped to any desired angle, and that it mayalso be retracted to the position shown best in Fig. 3 in which it nestsin slot 6. Arcuate notches 60 on the forward end of rod 46 are providedto fit over the upper edge of the work.

The modification illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 is similar in all respectsto that previously described but for the upper Work support rod 46',which is clamped between two discs 48, 48' and at the forward end ofwhich the work is engaged by a pair of discs 62, 62' adjustably clampedby pivot bolt and wing nut 64 and 66.

In operation, the easel is normally set up as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.If, because of rough or sloping ground, for instance, it is necessary toobtain abnormal footing, front legs 18 or 26, or rear prop leg 32 may beadjusted until the assembly is disposed at the desired level and angle.Next the height of the work is determined by adjustment of shelf 38along front face piece 4. Then, according to the height of the work andthe desired angular disposition of it, rod 46 is adjusted so that thework is firmly clamped between its notched forward end and shelf 38. Inthe Fig. 5 and 6 modification, rod 46' and discs 62, 62' arecorrespondingly adjusted, and a firm grip on the upper edge of the Workmay be obtained by slight relative rotation of discs 62, 62'. When thework is finished, the assembly is retracted to the condition "shown inFigs. 3 and 4. It should be. noted that in the retracted condition manyof the components may be interlocked so that afiirmative action isrequired for their extension. Particularly, rod 46 nests within slot 6and beneath pivoted shelf 38; rear prop leg 32 nests over backbone strip12 and blockingly engages the then inner sides retracted lower legs 18and 20, so that even if the wing nuts are loosened, the parts will notswing out in disarray.

The invention is not limited to the specific elements detailed above,but is intended to cover all substitutions, modifications, andequivalents within the scope of the following claims. I 1

I claim:

1. An easel comprising, in combination; an elongate front supportadapted for normally upright disposition and including a front striphaving a longitudinal slot therein, and a rear strip rigidly aflixed tothe rear of the front strip; a pair of relatively short legs; meanspivotally connecting said short legs on the lower end of the front stripso as to swing between a downwardly and outwardly extended position anda retracted position in which said legs lie generally parallel tothefront strip; a rear prop leg having a longitudinal slot therein, saidslot being adapted to accommodate the greater part of the rear strip;means pivotally connecting the upper end of said prop leg to the upperportion of said rear strip whereby said prop leg may be swung from adownwardly and rearwardly extended position to a retracted positionnesting over said rear strip with said rear strip fitting in said slot;

. a lower article support comprising a shelf; means adjustablysupporting said shelf on said front strip; an upper article supportcomprising a rod adapted to engage in the slot on the front strip; meanssupporting said rod on the upper end of said rear strip in alignmentwith the slot in the front strip, said last-named means supporting saidrod for angular and lengthwise adjustment of the rod whereby said rodmay be swung from a normal working position in which one end extendsforwardly of said front support to a retracted position in which itnests in the slot in the front strip; and article engaging means on theforward end of said rod for cooperation with the lower article support.1

2. The combination claimed in claim 1, the means pivotally connectingthe short legs to the front strip comprising a pair of bolts extendingthrough said front strip on respectively opposite sides of said slot,said short legs each having a slot through which said bolts respectivelyengage, said slots being adjacent inner ends of said short legs, saidinner ends being adapted and arranged to abut said rear strip when saidshort legs are extended, said slots permitting said short legs to slideaway from abutting relationship with said strip so that said short legsmay pivot about said bolts to retracted position.

3. The combination claimed in claim 1, said shelf having a back surfaceengaging the front strip, the means adjustably supporting said shelf onsaid front strip comprising a pivot bolt having a shank extendingthrough slot and shelf, said bolt having a head engaging behind saidfront strip; and a nut engaging said shelf for clamping the same againstsaid front strip whereby to hold said shelf with the length thereoftransverse to the front strip; said shelf pivoting on said bolt so as toretract lengthwise of the front strip.

4. The combination claimed in claim 1, said rod having a lengthwise slottherethrough; the means supporting said rod comprising a disc; a. firstpivot means supporting said disc on the upper end of said rear strip; asecond pivot means on said disc engaging through said rod slot; saidfirst pivot means including clamping means for releasably holding saiddisc against said rear strip; said second pivot means including clampingmeans for releasably holding said rod against said disc.

5. The combination claimed in claim 1, said rod having a lengthwise slottherethrough; said means supporting said rod on the upper end'of saidrear strip comprising a pair of spaced discs disposed on opposite sidesof said upper portion of the rear strip, said slotted rod engagingbetween said discs; a first pivot bolt clampingly engaging said discs onthe upper end of said rear strip; and a second pivot bolt spaced fromthe first, said second pivot bolt extending through said rod slot andclampingly engaging said rod between said discs.

6. The combination claimed in claim 1, said article engaging meanscomprising a pair of spaced discs; and a pivot bolt extending throughsaid rod and clampingly engaging said discs on opposite sides of saidrod; said discs each having a notch in the periphery thereof forengaging over an article, wherebysaid discs may be slightly ro-.

tated relative to one another to bind against the article engaged insaid notches.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

